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We really better be very careful, particularly when it comes to children.

Dr. Anthony Fauci turned the tables on Senator Rand Paul Tuesday, after theKentucky Republican suggested the immunologist and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) should be more humble and even point-blank told him he was not the end all when it comes to knowing about the coronavirus.

Senator Paul, who recovered after contracting COVID-19, was pushing for schools to re-open, suggesting the coronavirus doesnt kill many children.

Shouldnt we at least be discussing what the mortality of children is? Paul asked Fauci, saying for those 18 and younger it approaches zero.

We never reached any sort of pandemic levels in Kentucky and other [rural] states, Paul insisted. Outside of New England, weve had a relatively benign course for this virus nationwide.

Thats false. New York, which has been the epicenter of the disease for most of the time, is not in New England. Illinois now ranks number three in total deaths. Louisiana ranks fifth in deaths per capita. D.C. ranks sixth, followed by Michigan which ranks fourth in total deaths.

Related: Go to Hell: Internet Trounces Useless Rand Paul for Lone No Vote on Emergency $8 Billion Coronavirus Bill

Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) tweeted a quick smack-down of Senator Pauls provably false claims: Warren County, Kentucky where Rand Paul lives has more COVID-19 cases per capita than 51 of the 67 counties in New England states.

Sen. Paul then went after Dr. Fauci, saying, I think we ought to have a little humility in our belief we know whats best for the economy.

As much as I respect you Dr. Fauci, I dont think youre the end-all. I dont think you get to make a decision.

Paul also said the facts will show there will not be another surge, saying, I think its a huge mistake if we dont open the schools in the fall.

Fauci never advocated for not opening schools, so its unclear why Paul was attacking him for that. Even Chairman Lamar Alexander suggested Fauci tell Paul he had not said that.

I have never made myself out to be the end all and only voice in this, Fauci responded. Im a scientist, a physician and a public health official. I dont give advice about economic things, I dont give advice about anything other than public health.

And then he delivered a smack-down to Senator Paul.

You used the word that we should be humble about what we dont know. And I think that falls under the fact that we dont know everything about this virus, and we really better be very careful, particularly when it comes to children.

Because the more and more we learn, were seeing things about what this virus can do, that we didnt see from the studies in China, or in Europe. For example, right now, children presenting with COVID-19 symptoms, who actually have a very strange inflammatory syndrome, very similar to Kawasaki Syndrome, he said.

I think we better be careful that were not cavalier, in thinking that children are completely immune to the deleterious effects, Fauci warned.

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Obama Slams Trump Over USPS Attack in Rare Remarks: More Concerned With Suppressing the Vote - The New Civil Rights Movement

With less than one week to the Florida primaries, several campaigns across the state are entering do-or-die mode, hoping to see the fruits of their labor pay off with a big victory that will catapult them into the general election this November. The losers go home empty-handed.

While several races are on the table next week, only a handful are worth noting, as many of the outcomes are essentially already decided. Heres a look at the most hotly contested and/or more interesting races of the 2020 primary cycle:

Candidates: Judson Sapp, Kat Cammack, Gavin Rollins, Ryan Chamberlin, Todd Chase, Joe Millado, James St. George, Bill Engelbrecht, David Theus, Amy Pope Wells

A crowded Republican field is an understatement.

With Congressman Ted Yoho honoring his initial pledge to step down after serving 8 years in the House, CD 3 is up for grabs, with 10 Republicans staking their claims for the red meat seat.

But not all GOP candidates are created equal

In a WPA Intelligence poll conducted in June, Sapp led with 12 percent support among Republican primary voters. Cammack, a businesswoman and former deputy chief of staff for Yoho, followed in that poll closely with 10 percent support. All other candidates registered in the single digits. But primary polls in wide-open races are virtually worthless so early in the contest, and the race remains wide open for several candidates.

The most recent poll conducted this week by Meer Research saw a reverse in the top two spots, with Cammack receiving 25 percent support putting her 10 points ahead of Sapp. Meanwhile, St. George garnered 13 percent support, while Rollins secured 11 percent.

Both Cammack and Sapp have also dominated in the area of endorsements, with the Sapp camp being backed by several big names like political aide Roger Stone, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz and NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch, with Cammack drawing support from U.S. Senator Rand Paul, We Build the Wall founder Brian Kolfage and several mayors across Florida.

While its still too early to call, it looks like Sapp and Cammack are the front-runners heading into Tuesday.

Candidates: Byron Donalds, Dane Eagle, Casey Askar, Darren Aquino, William Figlesthaler, Randy Henderson, Daniel Kowal, Christy McLaughlin, and Dan Severson

From one of the most crowded fields to one of the nastiest, the battle for CD 19 continues to be one of the most hotly contested races in the state.

While full of potential of successors to replace Congressman Francis Rooney, the primary is currently a competitive four-way race between Donalds, Eagle, Figlesthaler, and Askar. Several polls have been conducted of the past few weeks, with the four front-runners each touting a preliminary victory. In the most recent poll, Donalds edged out the competition, receiving 22 percent support. Figlesthaler came in second with 21 percent, while Eagle and Askar netted 20 percent and 16 percent of those polled.

The race for CD 19 has also proved to be one of the most expensive Republican primary races in the 2020 election cycle. Donalds, especially, has raked in a lot of cash, sitting on over $300,000. More importantly, the Naples lawmaker has The Club for Growth backing his candidacy with over $1.5 million in TV and print advertising quite possibly making him the clear favorite. Meanwhile, Askar continues to hold a strong cash lead over the field, reporting over $900,000 on hand at the end of July. Eagle and Figlesthaler have netted $250,217 and $240,611 respectively.

Unfortunately, the tight race has been marred with mudslinging, with Club for Growth labeling Askar as a Mitt Romney Republican, leading Askar to take shots at Donalds, attempting to discredit his campaign by accusing Donalds of supporting President Barack Obama allegations which have yet to be substantiated.

Askar has also gone after Donalds past, pointing to the representatives arrest record something Donalds has been open about.

Also something worth mentioning: Donalds was publicly praised by Trump at the Step Presidential Justice Forum last October something that could pay dividends on election day.

Heated with razor-thin margins, this Republican primary will be a must-watch on election night.

Candidates: Ray Rodrigues and Heather Fitzenhagen

This may be a primary race, but given their opposing stances on crucial issues, youd think this was a general election.

Another fiery contest, Fitzenhagen will look to take her 8 years of experience in the Florida House and bring it to the State Senate. Unfortunately for her, shes facing a viable candidate with a proven conservative record.

Unlike Rodrigues, Fitzenhagens lukewarm conservative principles are a black eye on her candidacy. While the former Morgan & Morgan lawyer tries to smear Rodrigues with his connections to the sugar industry and tout herself as a Trump Republican, her record on gun control and abortion says otherwise.

Fitzenhagen famously voted for a massive gun control measure in 2018, leading her to draw the ire of National Rifle Association (NRA) lobbyist Marion Hammer. The vote resulted in the state representative getting raked over the coals by Hammer, who accused Fitzenhagen of stabbing Republicans in the back by pledging support for anti-gun Democrat Gary Farmer.

Fitzenhagen also has a shaky record when it comes to the life of the unborn. During the 2020 Legislative Session, she cast one of the few Republican votes against a parental consent bill that requires girls under the age of 18 to get a parents permission before having an abortion while Rodrigues voted for the bill.

The vote did little to add credibility to the conservative label she hijacked, and even resulted in Floridas top evangelical activist, John Stemberger, labeling Fitzenhagen as the most pro-abortion Republican in the Florida House.

While early polling saw Rodrigues and Fitzenhagen trade victories, most recently, the Estero lawmaker has dominated his Fort Myers colleague polling 22 points ahead of the moderate.

Rodrigues also has the support of incoming Senate President Wilton Simpson and has outspent Fitzenhagen nearly six times the amount of her expenditures.

Barring some unforeseen collapse, Rodrigues should walk away with an easy victory.

Candidates: Jenna Persons, Roger Lolly, and Charlie Lynch

Another example of a candidate with an identity crisis, Lolly is only leasing the Republican title.

Last year, Lolly took home more than $187,000 in salary from his Fort Myers based If I Can Dream Foundation (IICDF). The issue: the foundation entirely funded by tax dollars through a state contract. Now, he is asking Republican voters in the South Florida district to nominate him to replace Fitzenhagen.

On paper, hes a solid, pro-life conservative. But the controversy surrounding his lavish salary far larger than what most organizations of the same size actually pay may be the coup de grce to his campaign. The high salary issue is made even more relevant because it is Lollys only source of income, and in January of this year he loaned his campaign $115,000 in cash.

While neither Persons, Lolly, or Lynch has held public office, Persons has proven to be a natural in the political arena. To date, the Fort Myers lawyer has raised over $250,000 and spent close to $247,500.

Meanwhile, polling has pegged Persons as the front-runner for the seat, with the Fort Myers native garnering over 40% of 232 likely Republican voters.

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GOP Primary Primer: most interesting races to watch in Florida - The Capitolist

Its 2 months until we vote in the presidential election, but Im betting Ive found my favorite political story of the year.

Jo Jorgensen, the Libertarian candidate for president had to skip planned campaign stops in Louisiana and Mississippi because ... she had been bitten by a bat.

Instead of going to rallies, Jorgensen was starting rabies treatment.

As political stories go, this one is plain bat-bit crazy.

While the rest of the nation watches out for a persistent cough and the possibility of food losing its flavor, Jorgensen should have been on the lookout for hydrophobia and hallucinations.

As an aside, I wonder how many anti-vaxxers would refuse a few rabies shots if they were bitten by a rabid animal.

Vaccine valor being the better part of discretion, Id say give me a double dose, Doc.

If she follows her doctors orders, Jorgensen should be fine, but the incident has raised an unlikely campaign issue: The possibility that she might develop superpowers.

Well, in good humor, one Twitter follower pointed out to the candidate that it was the bite of a radioactive spider, not a bat, that got Peter Parker his spidey senses, and that Batman wasnt bitten by a bat.

Im not Batman, she responded in the best nonverbal impression of Michael Keaton youll read today.

Sock! Pow! Zok! I guess you can run for president and still have a sense of humor. Somebody should tell Joe Biden.

I wonder what superpower would be ideal for a Libertarian candidate?

Faster than a speeding encroachment on your inherent liberties?

Able to leap foreign entanglements in a single bound?

A mild-mannered Clemson University psychology lecturer by day, when the forces of economic control and taxation conspire, she becomes ... Batcandidate.

Da da da da da da da da! Da da da da da da da da! Da! Batcandidate!

Instead of a vice presidential running mate, she should be looking for a youthful ward. How would Rand Paul look in a unitard and mask?

Has anyone checked to see if this is how Ayn Rand got started?

All joking aside and because this is probably the one and only time the Libertarian Party 0.5% of the Oklahoma voting public at latest count will get any ink on the Tulsa World editorial page this year, heres some serious background on Jorgensen.

Shes smart. Jorgensen holds a doctorate in industrial and organizational psychology and is a senior lecturer in psychology at Clemson University. She also has a masters degree in business administration.

She has built a family and businesses, a software duplication company and, subsequently, a consulting company.

She was the Libertarian candidate for vice president in 1996 and campaigned in 38 states.

She says both parties have failed the American people and the result is a huge national debt, a nonstop war, skyrocketing health care costs, mass incarceration and a broken retirement system.

If elected, she promises to block any new federal borrowing, veto any spending bill that would lead to a deficit and veto any debt ceiling increase.

She also promises to bring home more than 200,000 American military personnel stationed in foreign countries and end U.S. military aid to foreign governments.

And she got bit by a bat.

The reports Ive seen havent described how Jorgensen encountered a bat or if the bat was seeking treatment for fear of libertarianism.

I wish Jorgensen a full recovery. Rabies isnt funny. Thank goodness she lives in a time when treatment is possible.

Well, maybe this is a little funny.

Hey, Professor Jorgensen, whats the best way to hold onto a bat?

Originally posted here:
Wayne Greene: As political stories go, this one is just plain bat-bit crazy - Tulsa World

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer signs Breonnas Law, which bans the use of no-knock warrants in Louisville. The law is named for Breonna Taylor, who was killed by Louisville Metro Police on March 13 after they used a no-knock warrant to enter her apartment.

When Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers teamed with Sen. Gerald Neal, the signal was clear that no-knock warrants were going to be substantially removed from state law, except in rare instances.

Stivers, the six-term Manchester Republican, and Neal, the Louisville Democrat in his 31st year of service, can likely deliver a sound majority. Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer of Georgetown and Sen. John Schickel, a former U.S. marshal from Boone County, also stepped up for the change.

The bipartisan nature of this effort, similar to action taken in Louisville, stands out in a time of extreme polarization in America.

A controversial procedure used by police, the no-knock warrant is now banned in Louisville, under consideration for strict limitation by the state legislature and currently a topic before Congress.

By now, most people who have followed the news know that a no-knock is a warrant issued by a judge and allows police to enter a property without first knocking or ringing a doorbell and use a battering ram on a locked door.

The theory is that alleged criminals might have a moment to destroy evidence in the time it takes police to enter a property once allowed by the owner.

The increase in the use of no-knocks is dramatic. Forty years ago, there were some 1,500 a year nationwide. Eastern Kentucky University criminologist Peter Kraska tabulated 50,000 uses in 2005 alone, according to Wikipedia.

Knock and announce has been the law of the land since Americas inception, dating back to the 1604 Castle Doctrine established in Britainthe idea that ones residence serves as ones castle, a private place. The concept is also embedded in the Fourth Amendment concerning lawful search and seizure.

More recently, stand your ground laws have arisen, permitting property owners to defend their domicile. A recent instance citing this principle is the married couple in St. Louis who were brandishing weapons in the face of protesters who broke the gate into their neighborhood.

No-knock laws originated during the Nixon Administrations War on Drugs and have been the subject of debate ever since. The legendary Sen. Sam Ervin, a vocal opponent of the measure, led committee hearings to assess the implementation. Public findings led to a repeal of the law just a few years later, signed by President Gerald Ford.

However, the 80s saw a resurgence of no-knock warrants. Supreme Court rulings a decade later clarified knock-and-announce exceptions, granting state and local judges significant latitude in their determinations of necessity.

In the wake of the Breonna Taylor case, a ban on the procedure has become a rallying cry, sparking action from Kentucky leaders at every level.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fisher suspended no-knock warrants two weeks ahead of a nationally significant Metro Council decision. The Breonnas Law ordinance, co-sponsored by all 26 members, was live-streamed to an audience outside the city building.

Metro Council President David James led the consideration by the citys local governing body. Jessica Green, chair of the councils Public Safety Committee, said her office received nearly 500 calls about the action in a single day.

Mounting pressure and awareness have prompted other areas, such as Lexington, to strengthen their own local policies. The Lexington law now requires sign-off by Police Chief Lawrence Weathers or an assistant chief, ensuring oversight at the highest levels. Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton followed this by instituting a moratorium on the practice, permitting no-knocks only in life or death situations.

The bipartisan move by the Kentucky Senate elevated metro decisions to a statewide conversation. Meanwhile U.S. Sen. Rand Paul has brought action before Congress with the Justice for Breonna Taylor Actlegislation that prohibits no-knock raids by federal law enforcement or police receiving federal funding.

To add, U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell in his role as majority leader teamed with Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina to work on a change to the no-knocks law. U.S. House Democrats have also made no-knocks action a priority in their police reform bill, with the help of Budget Chair and Louisville Congress Member John Yarmuth.

The proposal before the Kentucky General Assembly will be discussed by members over the balance of the year. Although no votes are taken during interim committee meetings, lawmakers meet every month of the off-season to examine key issues ahead of regular legislative sessions.

Breonna Taylors death in Louisville has clearly galvanized leaders into action with prominent Kentuckians out frontMcConnell, Paul, Yarmuth, Stivers, Neal, Fischer, James, Gorton, and numerous others.

Bob Babbage and Julie Babbage are with Babbage Cofounder, a leading government relations firm.

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Changing the No-Knock Law - The Lane Report

WASHINGTON Former Vice President Joe Biden has chosen Sen. Kamala Harris of California to join him on the Democratic ticket, fulfilling his pledge to select a female running mate and making Harris the first Black woman ever to appear on a major party ticket.

His campaign announced the pick Tuesday afternoon through its website.

Biden's selection of Harris, 55, lends racial diversity, gender parity and generational breadth to his campaign. It also represents a strategic decision by the 77-year-old former vice president to keep his ticket firmly within the more moderate wing of the Democratic Party.

"Back when Kamala was Attorney General, she worked closely with Beau," tweeted Biden, referring to his late son, Beau Biden. "I watched as they took on the big banks, lifted up working people, and protected women and kids from abuse. I was proud then, and I'm proud now to have her as my partner in thiscampaign."

The selection came despite a monthslong pressure campaign from leftist factions that wanted Biden to pick a progressive star such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and in the final few weeks of the search, concerted lobbying by prominent Democrats on behalf of Rep. Karen Bass of California and former Obama National Security Advisor Susan Rice.

Harris said in her own tweet shortly after Biden's decision, "Joe Biden can unify the American people because he's spent his life fighting for us. And as president, he'll build an America that lives up to our ideals. I'm honored to join him as our party's nominee for Vice President, and do what it takes to make him our Commander-in-Chief."

Former President Barack Obama complimented his vice president's choice. "Joe Biden nailed this decision," Obama said in a statement. "By choosing Senator Kamala Harris as America's next vice president, he's underscored his own judgment and character. Reality shows us that these attributes are not optional in a president. They're requirements of the job. And now Joe has an ideal partner to help him tackle the very real challenges America faces right now and in the years ahead."

Following the announcement, Rice complimented Harris in a statement, calling her "a tenacious and trailblazing leader who will make a great partner on the campaign trail." Bass did the same, saying in a tweet that Harris' "tenacious pursuit of justice and relentless advocacy for the people is what is needed right now."

Harris has a uniquely American biography: Her mother was a widely respected breast cancer researcher who immigrated to the United States from India in the 1960s. Her father, Donald Harris, is an eminent economist who spent much of his career at Stanford University. Also an immigrant, Harris moved to the United States from Jamaica around the time his future wife came from India.

A first-term senator who served as California's attorney general from 2010-16, Harris has drawn on her personal and professional experience to emerge as a leader in the Senate on racial justice issues.

"We've all watched her hold the Trump administration accountable for its corruption, stand up to a Justice Department that's run amok, and be a powerful voice against their extreme nominations,"said Biden in his announcement Tuesday, touting her experience in the Senate.

"She's been a leader on criminal justice and marriage equality. And she has focused like a laser on the racial disparities as a result of the coronavirus," Biden said.

A member of the Judiciary Committee, Harris in 2018 co-sponsored the first-ever bill to make lynching a federal crime. The bill passed the Senate and the House overwhelmingly, but a final version was blocked by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.

Harris was also a co-author this spring of Democrats' broader police reform legislation, drafted in response to the national uprising that followed the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man killed by Minneapolis police in May, and the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor, a Black EMT, at her home in Louisville, Kentucky, in March.

Yet Harris, like Biden himself, is considered a moderate Democrat and a pragmatic lawmaker rather than an ideologue. This could complicate incumbent President Donald Trump's effort to portray Biden as a tool of the "radical left."

Already on Tuesday there were signs that the Trump campaign has yet to decide how to attack Harris. In a written response to Biden's announcement, a Trump campaign spokeswoman accused Harris of being both too progressive and not progressive enough, saying Harris attempted to "bury her record as a prosecutor, in order to appease the anti-police extremists" yet also claiming her selection was proof that Biden would pursue "the extreme agenda of the radicals on the left."

In reality, Harris has repeatedly teamed with Republican colleagues to draft legislation during her three years in the Senate.

This includes working on an election security bill with Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., the anti-lynching bill with Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and a workplace harassment prevention bill with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.

Harris has even won plaudits from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a staunch Trump ally albeit one whose personal friendship with Biden goes back some 30 years.

Speaking to radio host Hugh Hewitt about Harris in May, Graham said, "I think she's the leading candidate [for Biden's running mate]. I know her. I didn't like what she did in the Kavanaugh [Supreme Court confirmation] hearings by any stretch of the imagination. But she's hard-nosed. She's smart. She's tough."

The announcement comes after a four-month selection process that saw at least a dozen prominent women vetted for the position.

The vice presidential selection committee was headed by former Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut, one of Biden's oldest friends. Other members included Biden campaign co-chair Eric Garcetti, the mayor of Los Angeles; Rep.Lisa Blunt Rochester, who represents Biden's home state of Delaware in the House, and Cynthia Hogan, who served as counsel to Biden in the Senate and later in the Obama administration.

Throughout the process, insiders say, Biden's top priority has always been to select a vice president he can trust, someone with whom Biden can have the same deep personal relationship he had with President Barack Obama during his eight years as vice president.

Biden's strategy for choosing a running mate has evolved over the past few months as his lead over Trump in national polls and battleground states has increased.

During the late winter and spring, when Biden was still locked in a primary battle against Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., many on his campaign team saw the vice presidential pick primarily as a chance for Biden to name a progressive who could help him unite the establishment arm of the Democratic Party with its left flank.

But as Biden's lead over Trump grew in the late spring and summer, progressive Democrats coalesced around him.

By early July, instead of needing a vice presidential candidate who could help galvanize support on the left, Biden's advisors had come to believe he merely needed one who would "do no harm" to his strong standing in the polls.

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Joe Biden picks Sen. Kamala Harris to be his vice presidential running mate, making her the first Black woman on a major ticket - CNBC